David Escapes to the Philistines

27 Then David said in his heart, “Now I will be swept away one day by the hand of Saul. ^(A)There is nothing better for me than that I should utterly escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.” ² So David arose and crossed over, he and ^(B)the six hundred men who were with him, to ^(C)Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³ And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, ^(D)each with his household, even David with ^(E)his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. ⁴ And it was told to Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” ⁶ So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore ^(F)Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. ⁷ And the number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was ^(G)a year and four months.

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided ^(H)the Geshurites and the Girzites and ^(I)the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to ^(J)Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. ⁹ And David struck the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he ^(K)took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. ¹⁰ And Achish said, “Where have you ^(L)made a raid today?” And David said, “Against the ^[a]Negev of Judah and against the ^[b]Negev of ^(M)the Jerahmeelites and against the ^[c]Negev of ^(N)the Kenites.” ¹¹ And David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, “Lest they tell about us, saying, ‘So has David done and so has been his custom all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’” ¹² So Achish believed David, saying, “He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever.”

Saul and the Woman of En-dor

28 Now it happened in those days that ^(O)the Philistines gathered their armed camps for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men.” ² And David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you ^[d]my bodyguard ^(P)for life.”